Kansas City Bishop Testifies Before Grand Jury

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The leader of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has testified before a Jackson County grand jury as part of an investigation into how the diocese handled child sexual abuse allegations.

Bishop Robert Finn testified Friday before the grand jury, which has been meeting since federal authorities filed child pornography charges against the Rev. Shawn Ratigan. Ratigan has pleaded not guilty to state and federal child pornography charges.

The Kansas City Star reports that an internal investigation showed that church officials knew for five months about troubling photos of girls on Ratigan's computer and did not formally notify authorities. Under Missouri law, clergy must report any suspected child abuse.Finn said after testifying that the diocese is cooperating with authorities.